'Two and a Half Men,' 'Harry Potter,' More Heading to New Zealand

Warner Bros. International Television Distribution and New Zealand’s TVNZ have inked a multiyear output deal providing free television rights to blockbusters like Harry Potter as well as new and returning TV series including Two and a Half Men and Persons of Interest.

“TVNZ has been our longtime broadcast partner in New Zealand and we are glad they will continue to be,” said WBITV president Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, who made the announcement Thursday. “This deal enables them to have access to successful, high-quality programming for many years to come while giving us a strong platform on which our programming can thrive.”

Among the films included in the deal are Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts I & II and The Hangover; television fare includes The Big Bang Theory, The Vampire Diaries, The Mentalist, The Middle, Mike & Molly, Nikita as well as new fall series 2 Broke Girls and The Secret Circle.

“This announcement reinforces the strong relationship TVNZ and Warner Bros. have long established,” said Jeff Latch, head of TV One and TV2.

The deal also includes unscripted TV series, animation, miniseries, telefilms and more.